A Lansing, Michigan veterans home was found to provide insufficient care in a recent state audit.
The report claims that staff members of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans falsely claimed they checked on patients after hearing of possible falls, failed to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect, and did not fill prescriptions quickly enough.
The veterans home, which houses 415 residents, is one of two state-operated nursing home facilities for elderly veterans. The state filed four claims against the contractor hired to staff the aides over a 1 ½ year period, the Associated Press reports.
From AP:
Auditors looked at third-shift surveillance video to show that only about a half of required room checks and one-third of fall-alarm checks were done, even though the home produced documentation that the checks occurred. The audit found that of 38 abuse or neglect complaints made over a 23-month period, nine were not forwarded to the nursing director and stayed with managers of departments against which the complaints were lodged — a violation of policy.
About one-third of prescriptions were filled late, and problems also were flagged with tracking medication inventories and insurance billing.
The audit was made public by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency on Thursday, a day before its scheduled release by Auditor General Doug Ringler, after outraged lawmakers began issuing statements and promising oversight hearings.
Sen. David Knezek, a Dearborn Heights Democrat and a Marine Corps veteran, said he was “devastated” by the auditor’s conclusions.
“We owe our veterans and their families a debt of gratitude — not a legacy of heartbreak and mismanaged care,” he said.
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency agreed with the findings and said it is making changes to improve quality of care.
Photo by Pennsylvania DMVA via Flickr CC License.
